Hamish Imlach (1940-1996)-info, songs, etc.

Subject: RE: hamish imlach
From: Sandy
Date: 08 Oct 98 - 07:43 AM

Hamish, I believe was also a great friend of Matt McGinn who is another Scottish folk legend. It's worth while finding out about Matt. Some of his stuff is brilliant. Unfortunately he also died of living life too hard by no fault of anyones but his own.

Sandy

Subject: RE: hamish imlach
From: Håvard
Date: 07 Oct 98 - 07:55 PM

Sadly, I only learned about Hamish post mortem. He died within a month after I arrived in Edinburgh as a student for the first time in the autumn of 1995. He was as many a Scottish folk singer seduced and abuced by the grape, and his unhealthy lifstyle finaly and sadly caught up with him.

He was an outstanding singer and performer, as I learned by his tapes and from all his friends in the Edinburgh folk community. My favorite song by Hamish is his vesion of "Sonny's Dream", which he partially rewrote after hearing it on a Canadian folk festival. He introduced this (Newfoundland) song in Europe, and Christy Moore/Mary Black/Jean Readpath based their versions on his.

Although Hamish probably is best known for his comedy songs (It's better in the dark/Cod Liver oil and the Orange Juice/The Smoke Song), he also gave supreme versions of Irish songs (e.g The Foggy Dew) and was at one time invited to join "the Dubliners".

As for records I'd recomend "Hamish Imlach - The Definitive Transatlantic Collection"

Håvard

Subject: RE: hamish imlach
From: Barbara
Date: 07 Oct 98 - 06:23 PM

If it's convenient, please, I'd like to hear more. Does he have any records or tapes available?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: hamish imlach
From: Ewan McV
Date: 07 Oct 98 - 12:10 PM

Hamish Imlach was one of the founders of the Folk Revival in Scotland, a raconteur who taught Billy Connolly, a singer who taught Christie Moore, a blues guitarist who taught John Martyn. He died, much lamented, a couple of years ago. I helped him write his hilarious autobiography of a life on the singing roads of Europe, called COD LIVER OIL AND THE ORANGE JUICE, but we fell out with the publishers and the book is out of print. I could maybe find and post the obituaries I wrote for a couple of our national papers - I'll have a go.

Subject: RE: hamish imlach
From: Barbara
Date: 07 Oct 98 - 11:38 AM

Say, Ritchie, while you're hanging out in the north east of jolly old England and not Chicago, can you tell me a little more about Hamish Imlach; who he is, what he does, where he does it, and where I might find a tape or CD of his songs?
Blessings,
Barbara

Subject: RE: hamish imlach
From: Ritchie Forster
Date: 07 Oct 98 - 08:19 AM

Thanks Art, at least its a start . The nice thing is whilst I've been waiting for a reply I've read some great correspondence and constantly find myself shooting off on a tangent.Unfortunately here I am in the North East of England just a little too far to catch Rich Warren's show... drat. Never mind,like I said its a start. Thanks again

Ritchie

Subject: RE: hamish imlach
From: Art Thieme
Date: 05 Oct 98 - 11:21 PM

I've heard it done as a recitation of sorts by HENRY MORGAN, the late father of Chicago Cubs pitcher, Mike Morgan (once again). Rich Warren plays it on the Midnight Special radio show on WFMT-FM in Chicago. (The show was just picked as the best program on WFMT---interesting 'cause it's the only folkish show on the station. The rest of the programming is classical.

Art

Subject: hamish imlach
From: ritchie forster
Date: 03 Oct 98 - 07:06 AM

Hamish Imlach sang a song about a man whose hobby was collecting bottles of whisky. His wife gave him the ultimatum that either the bottles went or she did.....so

"He took the cork from the first bottle had a little drink,
Kissed the bottle tenderly & poured it down the sink,
Took the cork from the second bottle...

and thats all that I can remember . Can anyone help with the rest of the lyrics or the name of the song thanks, [e-mail]